Three area mothers honored by state tonight as ‘Unsung Heroes’

Tuesday

Feb 19, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Michelle Kingstonmkingston@fosters.com

DOVER — Dover Children’s Home’s Executive Director Donna Coraluzzo believes the more adults a child has in their life and the more outlets they have to get questions answered and receive advice, the more likely they are to be able to bounce back from adversity.

This is why no matter how many struggling youths and troubled adolescents come in and out of the home she runs on Locust Street, she always makes sure they have her contact information to be able to come back and visit her tomorrow, next week, next year or in 25 years.

“There is something about being in a child’s life when they feel so out of control and they’ve told their story in a group setting and have just bared their souls,” Coraluzzo said about the children she works with who have anger management issues, have just lost parents or who are being abused.

“And then to not be able to find those people again? To not be able to contact us later on?”

Because of Coraluzzo’s experience and work with children, Gov. Maggie Hassan and the New Hampshire Children’s Trust have selected her, along with 27 other parents, as an unsung hero.

This is the sixth year the awards will be presented to parents who demonstrate resilience, have connections to the community for support, have knowledge of child development and parenting skills and know how to help children open up and connect with others.

Almost 150 parents have been celebrated in the past five years.

“It is such an honor,” Coraluzzo said of being nominated and selected for the first time. “It is such an honor to be cared about so much and respected by a board of directors who nominated me, but it is also an honor to be recognized for something so important, being a good parent to lots of different kids.”

Coraluzzo is a birth parent, a foster parent, a grandparent and a parent and mentor to the children at DCH.

“I work with the kids and try to figure out what their personality is like, what their strengths are and ask myself, ‘How do I help them take that package of who they are and navigate them to their very best abilities for this world?’”

Tracy Walbridge, of Rochester, and Hiedi Hilton, of Somersworth, are two other local women who will be celebrated tonight at the Statehouse as unsung heroes.

“It is such an honor to be recognized as one of New Hampshire’s unsung heroes,” Walbridge said. “I feel humble but at the same time incredibly proud too.”

Julie Day, of New Hampshire Children’s Trust, a state lead agency for the elimination of child abuse and neglect, said 28 parents were selected for each day in February, as this is Parent Recognition Month.

“Living in New Hampshire and surviving February takes a lot,” she said. “Spring is on its way, the days are longer, but it is nice to have something to look forward to. The unsung hero award is just that.”

The selected few will be honored for being role models in their communities like Coraluzzo and for overcoming challenges like Hilton.

In November 2010, Hilton’s 2-month-old son, Owen, passed away.

“During my deepest time of sorrow, I had such outpouring support from my family, friends, as well as the community, that I was just touched, inspired, really, to pay the kindness forward,” she said.

She called the school her two older daughters, Maddie, 12 and Abbigayle, 10, attend and asked if there were any families in need of baby boy clothing and necessities.

The school counselor told Hilton there was a family of eight children in need of help. The oldest daughter in the family has Alexander’s Disease and had just been admitted to the hospital and the mother had just given birth to a newborn son.

“Between traveling (to and from the hospital for her daughter), a new baby and holidays approaching, money was tight,” Hilton said of the family. “So I made a basket with bottles and outfits with accessories, both old and new, with an anonymous note attached.”

A woman named Angela LaRoche, who Hilton was friends with on MySpace, friended her on Facebook. While going through her photos on her page, Hilton noticed a few of the outfits LaRoche’s son was wearing were just like the ones Hilton put in the basket.

“As I was looking over her (Facebook) wall, I noticed that she had a daughter with a terminal disease and that she had spent time in the hospital before Christmas,” Hilton said. “I thought I was crazy. Could it be that she is the one that received my basket?”

After a few conversations online, Hilton decided to ask LaRoche.

“I was in complete shock when she told me yes, she was the one,” Hilton said.

Hilton held a pancake breakfast the spring after her son died to raise money for the LaRoche family.

“The day of the breakfast was so incredibly emotional,” Hilton said. “Meeting (the family) for the very first time.”

As a full-time single mother, Hilton is being recognized for her passion for her children, her community and for the support she has given to LaRoche, who was once a complete stranger to her.

“I think everyone is unique in their own way,” she said. “I guess I’m unique because my children are literally my life. Like I said, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them and everyday I continually strive to be a better person, role model, financially, mentally and emotionally, for them so they grow up to have good moral values, contribute and become good members within their society.”

Coraluzzo, who said she has no idea what she used to do with all of her time, said she is so thankful for the rich experiences and opportunities she has encountered since starting her work at DCH.

“I will totally accept this award on behalf of all my other brother and sister foster parents and all of the other people who are working so hard,” she said.